Solitaire
by vamp926
Summary: Short little TIVA one-shot. Tony and Ziva compete. Who wins, and what's the prize? Find out!


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**A/N: **So, it was basically 3:30 in the morning when I wrote this. I couldn't sleep and I didn't want to finish watching HP, so I was playing solitaire when I realized something. I had been playing the game practically all day and I hadn't won a game yet. Then, inspiration struck, and this story was born…

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Solitaire

Tony dropped his head onto his desk and moaned.

"Tony, are you alright?" Ziva asked from across the bullpen. Tony lifted his head slightly to look at his partner.

"No, everything is not alright. We haven't had a case in days, and I have been playing solitaire all day and haven't won a single game," Tony said.

"Solitaire?" Ziva asked, confused. She knew that it was a card game, but she hadn't seen Tony with a deck of cards.

"Yeah, you know, solitaire, the card game?" Tony said.

"I know it's a card game, Tony," Ziva said loftily. "But I haven't seen you with a deck of cards."

"Zee-vah, the game is on the computer," Tony said, getting up from his desk and walking to hers. He leaned over her and clicked the mouse a few times until the game showed up on her monitor.

"Looks easy enough," Ziva said and Tony snorted.

"It is, when you play with real cards, but I've found that the newer the computers, the worse hand you get dealt," Tony said, running his hand though his hair. Ziva looked up at Tony.

"Let's have a race," Ziva said. "See who finishes the card game first."

"Ziva, you can't win on the computer, I've only ever won once," Tony said skeptically.

"No, I'm serious. Abby and McGee can watch up to make sure neither of us cheats," Ziva said. Tony leaned in closer to Ziva's ear.

"And what does the winner get?" Tony asked huskily.

"Whatever they want," Ziva replied, an impish grin on her face.

Ten minutes later Ziva and Tony had recruited Abby and McGee from the lab to referee their game. Tony sat at his desk with McGee leaning over his shoulder. Across the bullpen, Abby had taken a similar position next to Ziva.

"Alright, no coaching," Tony said, looking pointedly at Abby, "no cheating, no undoing. DO you understand and accept these rules, Ziva?"

"I do," Ziva said, her eyes narrowing.

"Alright then, ready, set go," McGee said and Tony started feverishly clicking. McGee picked up the plasma remote of his desk and placed Tony's game on the plasma next to his desk and Ziva's game on the plasma next to Gibb's desk.

Ziva looked at the game on her computer and began slowly moving the cards around. Across from her Tony was still feverishly clicking. McGee looked over at Tony's computer screen.

"Tony doesn't have any more moves," McGee said and Abby looked up at the screen to confirm this just as Ziva placed the last king on the ace pile and the cards began cascading down the screen.

"So, Tony, nobody can beat the computer?" Ziva said, a smile at the corner of her mouth. Tony groaned and once again slammed his head down onto his desk.

"So, Ziva, what do you win?" Abby asked as she laughed at Tony's reaction to losing.

"Tony said the winner gets whatever they want," Ziva replied. Tony's face darkened.

"Shit," he mumbled.

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After Tony had gotten home he went straight to the fridge for a beer. Just as he was about to open it, the doorbell rang. Tony sighed and threw the bottle opener onto the counter and shuffled to the door. When he opened it, he was mildly surprised to see Ziva standing there.

"May I come in?" she asked. Tony nodded, unable to do anything else. Finally, he regained his senses.

"Do you want a beer?" Tony asked and Ziva nodded. Tony went back to the kitchen and retrieved another beer from the fridge and popped the top open. He walked out to the living room where he found Ziva sitting on his couch. He handed the beer to her and she nodded her thanks.

"So," Tony began awkwardly, "what's up?"

"Well, I came to collect my prize," Ziva said. Tony looked at her, confusion clearly shown on his face.

"What do you want?" Tony asked.

"You," Ziva said simply and then set her beer down on the table and pressed her lips to Tony's.

Many years later, Tony thought back on the challenge and was glad that Ziva had suggested the race, for they no longer played, because it was a game for one person, and they weren't alone anymore.

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**A/N: **So, did you like it? Was it good for being written at 3:30 in the morning? Please tell me what you thought! 


End file.
